Natural Birthing - Any good books?

[missbumpy]

I'm 30 weeks and a 1st timer and I'm desperately trying to overcome the huge amount of fear I've got about labour.

I'm trying to educate myself as much as possible about what can happen so that I can make informed choices when I'm at the hospital.

Any advice about good books on the subject? I've been looking on amazon at the Ina May Gaskin book. There's also one called Childbirthing without Fear but it's by a man and I'm wondering what he'd know about the pain of childbirth ifkwim .

I've heard that Sheila Kitzinger's book is good too.

Any ideas? I don't really know where to start.

I'm also a first timer, and planning a home birth. The first one I read was Ina May Gaskin and wow it was amazing. I couldn't stop myself raving about it to everyone I talked to, whether or not they were even interested (oops). I have since read Sheila Kitzinger, which has the advantage of being written in a UK context. Ina May writes about the US where childbirth does seem to be more obs and less midwife-led. I also read Michel Odent and Marie Mongan (hypnobirthing) but to be honest Ina May and Sheila Kitzinger were my favourites. I've heard good things about Childbirth Without Fear but haven't read it myself. Good luck.

Thanks. That's really helpful. I'm planning to have a birthing centre birth but I still want to know what's what so I don't get bullied into doing anything I don't want to (I've read some horrendous stories on MN about nasty MWs pushing women into doing things just to speed things up but making things much worse).
I might go for the Ina May Gaskin one since you liked it so much. Or maybe Kitzinger would be better if it's more relevant to the UK. Maybe I'll just buy both

Be warned - some of Ina May is a bit tree-hugging and fluffy whereas Kitzinger is more matter-of-fact in style. I felt they complemented each other to be honest, but it's such a personal thing. Either of them will make you feel empowered about natural birth and give you the confidence to know you CAN do it.

I haven't actually had a baby yet (am 37+2) but I'm feeling very positive and even if things don't exactly go to plan, at least I feel well-informed. Surely a good thing.

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Have a look at the AIMS website (Association for Improvements in the Maternity Services).
There are lots of great practical publications that are brilliant for being medically informed and help you make choices that you can make very clear on your birth plan. Ina May is truely inspirational and empowering. She gives you a great feeling that you can do it and trust your body.
www.aims.org.uk

Sheila Kitzinger beats Grantly Dick-Read hands down IMO and is much more contemporary.
GD-R was good as a 'period piece' for understanding where the natural chidbirth movt came from but not much cop for useful tips today.
Birth Your Way was an excellent read.

I'd get them all from the library or borrow from friends etc though, don't shell out actual money.

Also have a look at Sarah Buckley You can read some of her articles online, they are also in her book so you can try before you buy! I really liked how she explained the hormone stuff so that you can understand how your body works and this gave me greater faith in the female body if left to just get on with what it actually knows how to do!

Ina May is just fabulous and also shows an absolute faith in the female body. Birthing From Within is also brilliant. Pam England will be in the England in September. I hope to get her to Scotland next year.

I found Grantly Dick-Read and Michel Odent to be harder going so not for everyone but they are also brilliant (especially as they are men!)

I'm very keen on this website Birthing Naturally although it is American because it is easy to read and also provides that all important encouragement and self belief, imho. There's a nice section on fear...

HTHs

you need to read this:

www.themothermagazine.co.uk/

positive birthing stories and lots of lovely ideas for planning the birth you want. loved the article of mum who gave birth on a beach!!

Thanks everyone.

That's all really helpful. I'm going to see if my local library has got some of these books. If not, I'll shell out for a few of them. Sounds like it's worth it.

I can't believe I've got to 30 weeks and haven't heard of any of these books before . And I thought I was pretty well-informed!

I've thought about the active birth classes as they've got a centre in Archway, London and I can get there quite easily. A friend who went told me it was all quite hippy-ish and tree-huggy. Nothing against hippies and tree huggers but I reckon that might just annoy me. I just need something empowering that tells me how to make the right, natural choices for me and how to deal with the birth in my own way rather than getting pressured into things by the doctors and MWs.

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Sorry Pruners! I didn't mean to offend any hippies or tree-huggers! Everyone deals with things in their own ways. I'm just quite a down-to-earth person and I was a bit put off the active birth classes by the way my friend described them (BTW, she ended up having an awful labour...40 odd hours, transferred from birthing centre to hospital, induced, epidural, the works ).

I go to antenatal yoga class and when the teacher says things like "feel the energy moving down your body and coming out through your toes" I do wonder if I'm the only person who has NO idea what she's on about!

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Glad everything was fine with your birth. It's always good to hear positive stories because there are so many terrifying stories of awful birth experiences.

I didn't even know I was meant to be opening up my pelvis! Maybe I should be going to the active birth class after all! How do I open up my pelvis then?

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I second "Birthing from Within", although I skipped all the art therapy stuff, as that wasn't my cup of tea at all. The second half of the book is just amazing though. Not at all hippy-ish, I don't think. Just completely sensible advice about what to expect and how to acheive a natural birth.

Birthing from within, get it please!!!!

I'll look at Birthing from Within too. Thanks for all the brilliant advice!

The pain relief help in the second part of the book is amazing. I used it for my last birth and it transformed my perception of the pain. I felt the pain but it didn't overwhelm me. After all it's our attitude to the pain during labour that makes a huge difference. If you feel frightened and overwhelmed then it will hurt more and you will be able to cope less iyswim

Yehudi Gordon Birth and Beyond
enormous book full of great stuff.

he was my consultant for first 2 pregnancies, not that i saw him much, was MW led care and no complications.

If you get one book, my personal recommendation is to read Ina May Gaskin - but make sure you get Ina May's Guide to Childbirth rather than Spiritual Midwifery as it is much more up to date and less hippyish

The best thing about it IMHO is the inspirational birth stories at the start. My first baby's birth was not good and I had two elective sections for the next two babies because I was so traumatised. Ina May's book was a big factor in my decision to have my fourth baby and home and it was an amazing, empowering, healing experience.

I know I'm going to sound like a stuck record, but it might well be beneficial to have a doula if you are feeling fearful as having someone with you throughout labour, who has faith in your body's ability to give birth can be really helpful and there is lots of evidence that it can reduce the chances of needing intervention.

Thanks for all the great advice. I think I'm going to have to raid my library for a whole selection of these books (that's assuming they've got any of them).

A couple of people have mentioned doulas. I don't really know much about them (what they do, how much it costs, where you find one etc). Is it really any better than having your partner or a strong, female relative/friend with you?

You can find out more about doulas and where to find them on this website I would say that it is quite different to having your partner with you. For most men, their first experience of labour is seeing their wife/partner going through it and for many of them it can be frightening or overwhelming even when the birth is going completely normally. It is not good to have someone who is fearful with you in labour and a doula can help reassure both the mother and father that what is happening is normal and good. I know my husband found it very helpful having a doula with my last baby because she looked after him too!

Having a strong female relative with you can be a good alternative to a doula, but I would say it needs to be someone who sees labour and birth as normal physiological events, and will be a calm, reassuring presence without flapping! It also needs to be somebody who you feel at ease with and uninihibited around so that you can do what comes naturally when you're giving birth.

Just wanted to say thanks for all the advice. I got the Ina May Gaskin book yesterday and I've been reading it obsessively ever since. It's making me feel much more positive about things and like this is something I can do naturally, rather than something terrifying that I'll have to endure.

I'm planning to go to a birthing centre so hopefully they'll be more understanding about the idea of a natural birth. I'm hoping to use a pool too. I'm still quite terrified but I'm starting to feel a bit more in control and a bit calmer about it all.
thanks again.